Link to the Past: Alternate Ending
by XFeelXTheXLoveX
Summary: An alternate ending to how "Link to the Past" could've ended. Bradley Simpson, Ross Lynch, Rocky Lynch, Ashton Irwin, Luke Hemmings, Dan Howell, Joe Sugg, Caspar Lee, Phil Lester & more!
1. It's Over

**Hello. Hello. Surprise. Surprise. I am back. Only for a short while though.**

 **I wrote an alternate ending of how Link to the Past could've went as I was writing the original ending & I wanted to share it with you guys. I didn't want to make this the original ending for the fine fact there's aspects of it that are just too crazy & plus... I was already gonna be a little satan and kill off Brad, Ashton & Dan... I didn't wanna be a satan anymore haha.**

 **This chapter is picking up from Chapter 28 or 29 in the original LTP (I Can't remember haha)**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this alternate ending! It is a few chapters long so there is a bit more to come.**

 **Enjoy!**

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 _ **Disclaimer: I do**_ **n** **ot** _ **own R5, Bradley Simpson from The Vamps, 5 Seconds of Summer, Dan Howell (danisnotonfire), Joe Sugg (ThatcherJoe), Caspar Lee or Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) - all rights go to Hollywood Records, Virgin EMI/Mercury/Universal Records, Capitol Records & YouTube!**_

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 **Chapter 28  
** _It's Over **  
**_

Luke and Ashton were in the security unit after searching around for someone but there had been nobody at all. "Where the hell could everyone be? It's not like there's an unlimited amount of places where they can hide." Luke said.

As they walked down the hallway, there was a flash of blue light which almost blinded the pair as they were that close to it – when they looked, after the flash had disappeared, Ross appeared in a sitting position but soon fell flat on the floor because there was obviously nothing for him to sit on. "Ahh! What the fuck?!" Ross raised his voice in confusion, scrambling up from the floor and onto his knees.

"What's wrong?" Ashton asked.

Next, Caspar appeared screaming with his eyes closed. But his scream slowly faded as he opened his eyes, seeing he was in the base with Luke and Ashton stood in front of him and Ross knelt on the floor next to him. "What?!" Caspar asked, his voice high in pitch and obviously confused – which was making Luke and Ashton confused as to why they were confused and had appeared out of nowhere.

"WHY AREN'T WE DEAD?! Not that I'm complaining…" Ross shouted, soon quietening his voice and still being on the floor.

"What do you mean why aren't you dead? What's happened?" Luke asked, getting a little frustrated at how nobody was telling him anything.

"Wait, where's Brad and Joe?" Ross asked, getting up from the floor and looking at Caspar, their eyes widened "No…" He said, realising that they were both more than likely dead.

Another flash of blue light came out from nowhere seconds later with Joe and Brad making an appearance shortly after it – with Brad holding onto the back of Joe's t-shirt, both with their eyes shut tightly and screaming at the top of their lungs in fear.

"BRAD! JOE!" Caspar shouted, to get them to stop screaming.

They stopped screaming and opened their eyes. "What?!" Joe asked.

"Will someone explain what happened?!" Ashton asked, raising his voice.

"There was a plane that set off in the Hangar with a warhead on ready to detonate so me, Caspar and Brad chased it with another plane – we caught up to the plane and Brad used his wrist-epoch to get onto the plane with the warhead on in the hope to take down the pilot and whoever else was on board and fly the plane back to here. But it didn't happen 'cause Brad accidentally set the warhead to detonate 'cause he got knocked to the floor by someone on the plane he killed and as he fell he tried to grab hold of the warhead." Ross explained.

"I didn't try to grab hold of it, my hand hit it as I fell!" Brad protested, as he was seeing the looks he was getting off Luke and Ashton.

"Whatever," Ross cut him off before he could continue "anyway, he started begging for one of you two to come and disarm the warhead—"

"No I never!"

"Yeah you did," Ross said, holding his hand out to make sure he didn't say another word "anyway, back to where I was. After that, I sent Caspar back here with his wrist-epoch to come find one of you two or Joe – whoever he found first – to come back and disarm it, only having seven minutes. He got him back on our plane with like fifteen seconds to spare, Joe transported onto the plane Brad was on and the next we know, we see the plane blow up – bearing in mind the backlash is coming towards us too ready to wipe us out but the then the next thing we know we disappear and are back here. Why aren't you two dead?" Ross asked, turning to Brad and Joe "more importantly, how the hell did we get back here?!"

 _Dan and Phil had the wrist-epoch's and were giving them to everyone as they already had theirs. Dan got to Joe and gave him his, tying it round his wrist. After, they looked at one another and Dan could see the fear/nervousness in Joe's eyes, so he smiled at him a little and nodded as if to say "you'll do fine". Joe gave him an unsure smile back._

 _Someone tapped Joe on his shoulder and he turned round to see Michael. "Hey, can I just look at your wrist-epoch for a second? I need to make sure something's right on it." He said._

 _"Why? Is it broke?" Joe asked, getting even more nervous than he was._

 _Michael shook his head "Oh, no, no, no, don't worry it's fine, I've had to do it with Caspar, Ross and Brad's too so you're not the only one."_

 _"Oh, okay."_

There we go.

Rydel, Michael and Calum and their subtle ways of telling you 'you're life is going to be in danger and you may die, so we're going to save it on the sly without you knowing'.

"It froze on one for about five seconds and then it restarted again and went to zero, and as we heard it rumble, ready to explode, we disappeared too." Joe said.

"These past fifteen minutes have not been good for my heart," Brad said, having a hand on his heart and looking sort of traumatised from the experience. He looked at a door and through the glass on it, he groaned "Nooo! Not again! There's a bomb!"

Everyone looked through the door and seen the bomb. "Rocky and Rydel put it there earlier to blow up this part of the base in case we didn't succeed in getting rid of all the guards. And me and Michael put two up in HQ as well." Luke said.

"I'm sensing that's not needed any more 'cause the guards have disappeared. Maybe you should go disarm it." Ross said.

"Yeah, will do. What about the one in HQ?" Luke asked.

"I think we should leave that one just in case Priscilla, Maxwell and Harvey find their way back up there."

"Maxwell's dead. We killed him." Ashton said.

"Oh… Well there's a nice surprise." Brad said, becoming happy instead of scared.

"How did he die?" Caspar asked.

"I gave him a friendly push off the roof." Luke said.

"Lovely."

Joe handed Luke the pocket knife he used to cut the wires on the warhead he disarmed so that he could disarm the bomb in the room. "You two get yourselves back to the basement. Ross, Brad, go look for Priscilla, Harvey, Isaac or Mariah. We'll sort this bomb situation out." Ashton said.

"Alright." Ross said.

The six boys all then split off – Luke and Ashton went in the room where the bomb was to disarm it, Ross and Brad went off to go find Priscilla or Harvey or both and Joe and Caspar made their way back to the basement.

Luke and Ashton finished disarming the bomb in the security unit and left to try either catch up to Ross and Brad or find Rocky.

Dan sat in the basement with Phil, Mia and Courtney, and pretty much everyone who worked at the base apart from the people who had found a different place to hide for safety in the basement. He was nervous and had been it ever since Caspar took Joe to disarm the warhead. He shook his head, getting up "I've gotta go back up there." Dan said.

"What? Why?" Phil asked.

"I promised Joe I'd make sure he'd stay alive for the sake of his daughter growing up without any parents – and he's up there now."

"No, he's on a plane disarming a bomb but you don't know where that plane is." Courtney said, trying to talk him out of going up so Dan himself was safe.

"It shouldn't have took him that long to. I need to go up there and see if he's back." Dan said, making his way towards the door of the basement.

"Dan!" Phil said, getting up. Dan stopped and faced him. Phil went to go say something in the hope to stop him but he knew fine well that he wasn't, so he shook his head and sighed "Be careful."

"I will." Dan went to the door and someone thankfully unlocked it for him and they let him out, locking it after him.

Courtney stood up from where she sat "You're going after him aren't you?" She asked.

Phil turned to her "I wouldn't be a good friend otherwise."

"Alright but we're coming with you." Mia said.

"You don't have to."

"No, we want to. Nobody should be alone at any point during this." Courtney said, where then, the three left the basement and proceeded to follow Dan.

Calum started moving around and making groaning noises which caught the attention of Samara, Rydel and Michael!Brad. They turned to him and seen that he had woken up, looking confused. "Are you alright?" Rydel asked.

Calum nodded "Y-yeah… I'm fine… How… I thought I was fighting Isaac..?" He asked, being slightly confused.

"You were but you were starting to phase out of existence so we had to carry you to find Ross and Brad, but then a grenade went off so that didn't help matters."

"Wait, so… I'm now created and Brad's carrying me?"

Samara shook her head "No, I'm carrying you 'cause if Brad was he'd either hurt you, himself or have a miscarriage due to all the fighting and stress you're all under."

"Oh, okay. Well… What's going on now?" Calum asked.

"The last we heard, everyone but Brad, Ross, Rocky, Luke, Ashton and Caspar had gone to the basement for safety, all that was left was Priscilla, Maxwell, Harvey, Mariah and Isaac. I don't think that'll take long if all five of them are still alive. We're just sat in here now waiting for someone to come tell us it's all over and the worlds safe." Rydel explained.

Calum nodded "Cool. Er… What happened to Abasi, then?"

"I killed him after he made me bounce through time trying to tell me something that you both wouldn't." Michael!Brad said.

Calum glanced at Rydel. "He knows and remembers everything." Rydel said.

"Oh… Sorry…" Calum said.

"Yeah, save that speech, Rydel's already given me it." Michael!Brad said, cutting Calum off before he could continue on.

"How are you feeling?" Calum asked, after a short silence as he didn't really know what to say to him.

"Eh, I'm fine, I guess."

"You guess?" Samara questioned, and he just shrugged.

"What's wrong?" Rydel asked.

"It's just erm… We've managed to dodge everything that we were trying to, to create a whole new future. Everything. Now all it is, is just a matter of waiting for the others to kill Priscilla, Maxwell and Harvey."

"Right?" Rydel said, not seeing how there was a problem as Michael!Brad was making out there was by the look on his face.

"Then why do I still look like this? Because the only reason I look like this is because of the events that happened that we've avoided. If we'd have avoided it all, I should look how Brad—well me—looks now, but I don't." He said, being concerned about that, where then a a thoughtful look washed over Samara's face as though some sort of realisation had hit her.

"You're just a version of yourself that could've happened now, it doesn't mean it's still going to happen. Once Priscilla, Maxwell and Harvey die you won't look like that anymore, you may even phase out of existence like me and Rydel – the only difference is we're going to be born soon but you're already born. It just means you get to avoid what you went through the first time this all happened." Calum explained/reassured.

"I hope so." Michael!Brad said, not being entirely convinced.

Michael!Brad glanced at Samara and noticed the look upon her face "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing… I was just thinking that's all…" Samara said, looking shaken and very concerned all of a sudden.

"About?" Rydel asked.

"Why did you bring us all together? Luke, me, Dan, Luke etc." Samara asked.

"To save the world and to stop the future that we live in from happening…" Calum said, not being sure why she was questioning this now or why she was acting the way she was. In fact, it was unnerving him too.

Samara nodded "Right okay… And what happens when we save the world?"

"What are you talking about? It's saved. All that's left to do is to kill Priscilla, Harvey, Mariah and Isaac – and that's not going to take a lot." Rydel said.

Samara nodded again "Yeah, I know. It's just er… I have worked in the science unit, but not much with time travel, so I'm no expert in it but… Do correct me if I'm wrong, but… if the world is saved and your future no longer exists… That means you three were never born – at least not yet – and shouldn't be here… Which leads me to ask… Why are you still here? Shouldn't you guys have phased out of existence if that was the case?"

And at that moment, realisation hit every single person in the room and they became filled with horror as they slowly rose up from their seats.

"And don't you find it weird how we sent Alex, Nate and Kyle to go into the vaults where the Nuclear Warheads are kept to make sure that none of them were set to detonate, yet… they haven't returned with an answer?" Samara continued.

"No… We worked so hard…" Rydel said, being completely horrified that there was now a massive chance that they had not saved the world.

Calum shook his head "No, don't panic. We can still fix this! We can still save the world! We've just got to go find Brad, Ross, Rocky, Luke and Ashton and check the vaults for Nate and them! Maybe after they checked they went straight to the basement!"

"How about we stop discussing it and just go!" Michael!Brad said before they all burst out the room to go find everyone before it was too late.

Ross and Brad were nearing HQ where they seen Priscilla came out of, coming face to face with them – but she was a fair distance away from them. "What should we do?" Ross asked.

"What do you mean?" Brad asked, confused. Wasn't it obvious already? Catch her? Kill her? Take her to the others and decide what to do with her there? One or the other.

"Well, she's a girl."

"And?"

"Isn't it wrong for guys to hit girls?"

"Well… We don't necessarily need to hit her… just maybe… shoot her a few times or grab her."

"Speak louder I don't think I heard you properly." Priscilla said, sarcastically before she turned round and ran off to get away from them both.

"AFTER HER!" Ross shouted, running after her but Brad stayed where he was.

"I'll go this way 'cause that way we'll ambush her when she goes down the stairs!" Brad said, going in the opposite direction.

Joe and Caspar were still making their way down to the basement when they heard a commotion going on as they started to pass the garages. They glanced at each other, wondering what it was and if they should go inside to investigate.

"Joe!" Dan called, coming towards them "you're back! What's up? Why are you here?"

"We were making our way back to the basement but there's noises coming from inside the garages…" Joe said, finding it weird 'cause he's pretty sure nobody came down here to hide.

"What is it?"

"I don't know… Should we go look?"

"I don't know… Should we..?" Caspar asked, being unsure about it and not getting a nice feeling from it what so ever if the three of them were to walk through that door.

"It might be Brad, Ross, Rocky, Luke or Ashton struggling and needing help, you never know." Joe said.

The three boys all glanced at each other before they decided to go in and look.

Calum had got to the vaults where the warheads were whilst Rydel, Michael!Brad and Samara had gone to find the others. "Nate! Kyle! Alex!" Calum shouted as he entered the vaults, his voice echoing throughout.

The door to the explosives room, which lead to the vaults, was already open which meant that the three boys had to be down there somewhere still. Calum continued to call out their names but there was no response so he continued walking along, looking at the warheads to double check but none of them were set to detonate thankfully. But as he walked by there were some big gaps between the warheads which made it look like some were missing – but the only reason some were missing was because some had been taken to the Hangar to be loaded onto planes.

He hopes.

"Guys!" Calum called one last time.

He wondered round a little more until he turned and corner and seen Alex laid on the floor out cold next to another gap where the warheads usually are – or where one should be. He ran over and shook him "Alex…" Calum said, kneeling next to him and he began to stir, not being fully awake, but dazed "are you alright? What happened?"

"I-I don't know… One minute me, Kyle and Nate were t-together and the next… We went off individually to see if any warheads were set to detonate. I found one that was… I was about to disarm it and then… something hit me over the head. Next thing, I hear something rumbling as if it's taking off and everything went black and well… here I am…" Alex explained, dazed to the point where he wasn't sure himself if he was awake.

"W-what..?" Calum asked, but Alex never responded so he slapped him as hard as he could to wake him up properly and it worked. Alex knelt to the floor and Calum stood up.

Alex began looking around, being frantic "Hold on…"

"What?"

"There was a warhead there before…"

At that moment Calum felt his heart sink all the way to the pit of his stomach "What..?"

Alex nodded "Yeah… It was set to detonate too!" He said, standing up.

Kyle came round the corner with Nate who also looked dazed "GUYS! We have a problem! There was a couple warheads set to detonate but someone knocked us both out and when we woke up they were gone! I think they've been let off!"

Alex looked at Calum who was staring out into space, looking sad and his eyes were beginning to glisten with tears. "Well, what now? Do we go find the others and tell them?" Alex asked, and they all looked at Calum for a response.

"No…" Calum said.

"Why not?" Nate asked, finally coming back to reality.

"I-it's… It's over…"

"The worlds saved?" Kyle asked.

Calum shook his head "No… We lost…"

Because of the missing warheads, it was obvious. They had been let off and by the time he and the other three boys found Brad, Ross, Rocky, Luke and Ashton, it'll be too late – they wouldn't be able to stop the warheads 'cause they would've arrived and destroyed their set location. That… and they don't know where those warheads were meant to be going. They wouldn't be able to find them.

This was it.

It was the end.

They failed to save the world.

 ** _Next:_** _End of the Road_

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 **Oh how I have missed writing BRRAL & everyone else.**

 **I hope you guys liked it & the next few chapters!**

 **Please review to let me know what you think etc. & if you would like to see the rest of the alternate ending.**


	2. We Failed

**Half of this is the same as another chapter but I'll put in big bold caps where it's different so just scroll until you see black haha.**

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 _ **Disclaimer: I do**_ **n** **ot** _ **own R5, Bradley Simpson from The Vamps, 5 Seconds of Summer, Dan Howell (danisnotonfire), Joe Sugg (ThatcherJoe), Caspar Lee or Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) - all rights go to Hollywood Records, Virgin EMI/Mercury/Universal Records, Capitol Records & YouTube!**_

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 **Chapter 29  
** _We Failed_

Riker, Ellington and Rocky were running and were coming up to the garages where the Wranglers were kept – Harvey was still chasing them and Rocky was firing his gun at him as he ran, but he kept missing due to him trying to focus on shooting Harvey down and making sure he didn't run into a door or wall.

Rocky stopped running whilst Riker and Ellington continue "Guys! Go in there and find a Wrangler that's petrol tanks full or pretty much full!"

"Got it!" Riker called back, before he and Ellington ran through the door where there was a literal sea of Wranglers.

As Harvey came forwards to punch Rocky, he ducked and punched Harvey and kicked him to the floor. He stood over him and as he was about to pull the trigger to shoot him, Harvey kicked him in the crotch so he bent over and Harvey was able to drag him to the floor easily.

This was when Luke and Ashton got into the hallway to see what was happening.

Harvey got the gun off Rocky and pulled back the hammer – which was when Joe, Caspar and Dan came through another door from where they could hear this commotion.

Joe looked where he seen Luke and Ashton coming towards Rocky to help him and he turned round where Harvey was about to shoot Rocky. "HEY NO!" Joe shouted.

And to everyone, it was though the next part happened in slow motion.

As a natural instinct, Harvey looked up and wound up pointing the gun in the direction the voice came from – having already fired the gun which meant the bullet was heading in the voices direction.

 ** _BANG!_**

It was heading for Joe.

"JOE, NO!" Ashton shouted, about to push him out the way and take the bullet himself at the same time as Dan.

"ASH!" Luke shouted, grabbing him and pulling him back so he didn't.

Caspar outstretched his arms to try and stop Dan, but Dan managed to push Joe out of the way and Dan was the one who wound up getting shot. "DAN!" Caspar shouted.

"NO!" Joe shouted, catching Dan as he fell backwards to the floor.

As Rocky had pretty much gathered what had happened, Harvey was still looking in that direction, so Rocky raised his legs and kicked him in the stomach, making him lurch over. He grabbed his arm and flung him back to the ground, stomping on his wrist so that he let go of the gun and Rocky took it back, staying stood on Harvey's wrist so he couldn't move. "You know what, I'm not going to shoot you dead, I've just thought of a better and more painful way you can die." Rocky said, smiling at him angrily.

"Dan, Dan, Dan, Dan, Dan, breathe, stay with us." Joe said, tapping Dan's face as he had him laid on the floor and Caspar pressed his hands on top of the wound so it would help to stop the bleeding.

Dan breathed heavily and quickly, obviously trying to breathe again but it wasn't working very well.

Luke and Ashton went over to them. "Get him up, try and get him to the hospital unit. See if Samara, Rydel, Calum or Michael can help him. They're hiding in Ross' room." Ashton said.

Joe and Caspar tried to move him, but he screamed in pain and kept doing so every time they tried so they just left him to lay on the floor and Caspar returned to keeping his hands over Dan's wound to stop the bleeding.

"Luke! Ashton! Come here and keep hold of him whilst I go get some wire to tie him up with." Rocky said. The pair quickly ran over and grabbed hold of Harvey as best as they could whilst Rocky ran into the garage.

"Rocky! We found a jeep that's petrol tanks full!" Ellington said, from where he and Riker were stood a short distance away.

"Oh, er, what number is it?"

Ellington looked on the bonnet "51."

Rocky looked at the wall where there was a load of keys hanging on it, he looked for the key to that Wrangler and took it down. He ran over to where the two boys were and gave the keys to Riker "Use this to get yourself home and to safety, alright? Don't do anything or go out of the house until one of us comes and sees you. And make sure once you're in LA you hide the Wrangler in your garage or something."

They both nodded. "Alright, good luck." Riker said, getting into the car with Ellington.

"You too. Both of you."

Ellington got into the car and Rocky ran back over to the wall as the engine started up to press the button which opened up the garage door and he waited until the boys had driven the Wrangler out of the garage until he shut it again.

That probably being the last time he would see them. Ever.

After he walked over to the work bench where there was some wire and he took it before going back to where Luke, Ashton, Harvey, Joe, Caspar and Dan were. He got to Luke, Ashton and Harvey and started tying Harvey up in the wire whilst Luke and Ashton held him down.

Joe was on the brink of tears "Come on Dan, you've got to let us move you. Please."

"No it hurts too much." Dan said, through groans of pain.

"But if you don't let us you'll die!" Caspar said, trying to stay calm but it was beginning to fail miserably.

"Better me than him." He said, referring to Joe.

Joe sighed "Why'd you do it? Why didn't you just let the bullet hit me? Why did you have to take it?"

"'Cause… I p-promised you that yo-you would survive this… even if it k-killed me," He said, where Joe shut his eyes as a tear rolled down his face "at least your daughter has a Father that's coming home now."

That was the breaking point for Joe as he slowly began to sob, realising why he took the bullet. Just so his daughter, Jenny, would have a Dad and wouldn't grow up without any parents due to her Mother already being dead. "Take good care of her." Dan said.

"No, Dan, don't do this. What about Phil?!" Joe asked, not wanting him to die hence why his voice was beginning to raise in frustration.

Dan shrugged as best as he could "I love him like a b-brother and everything but… he'll be alright."

"You can't leave him without saying goodbye!"

Dan let out a small laugh "I've already said it," He said, which made Joe furrow his brow "1959."

Dan breathed deeply and Joe could see he was turning pale and his eyes were slowly starting to shut. "What… What about Samara, Dan?" Caspar asked, sounding upset.

Dan opened his eyes again "Fuck, get me to that hospital unit." He said, holding up his arms as best as he could.

Quickly, Joe and Caspar grabbed an arm each and pulled him up from the floor, putting his arms over their shoulders so they were supporting him as he tried to walk, even though by the looks of things they were going to end up dragging him.

Rocky, Luke and Ashton had finished typing up Harvey and they looked over to Joe and Caspar to see them carrying Dan as best as they could, obviously to try and get him to the hospital unit in the hope Rydel, Michael, Calum or Samara could save him before it was too late.

"Let's find Ross and Brad and get rid of this one." Rocky said.

Rocky and Luke kept hold of Harvey as he was tied up whilst Ashton walked to lead the way.

With the plan Rocky had to get rid of Harvey, he would for sure suffer greatly after everything that he had done along with Priscilla and Maxwell. And if they caught Priscilla along the way, she could suffer too.

But little did he know his plan would also make one of his best friends suffer.

Ross chased Priscilla in the direction she ran whilst Brad had gone in the other way in the hope they'd ambush and capture her so they didn't have to hurt her.

She ran through some double doors that lead to the stairwell and ran down them. As Ross ran down them after her, he pretty much jumped down them, missing a few steps, which made him gain on her and he became that close to her that he reached out and grabbed her arm which she was using to hold onto the banister of the stairwell.

Priscilla let out a yelp and turned round, slapping him. Ross let out a small scream of pain but grabbed her other arm and wrapped his arms round her tightly so she couldn't move.

That was when Brad came up the stairwell "You caught her!"

"Don't look so surprised! Jesus Christ, she's wriggly!" Ross said, holding onto her as best as she could as she attempted to wriggle out of his grip.

"Priscilla. Priscilla!" Brad raised his voice, until she stopped wriggling and looked at him "It's over. Maxwell's dead and I imagine Harvey's not that far behind. It's done. It's over. You've lost."

Joe and Caspar had carried Dan as fast as they could to get him to the hospital unit. They had finally reached the hospital unit but as they entered, Dan's legs gave out and he collapsed to the floor, taking both Joe and Caspar with him. "Dan, don't you dare give up on us now. We're pretty much here, all we have to do is find the room, Michael, Calum, Rydel and Samara are in." Joe said.

Dan's breathing was the heaviest it had ever been and he laid flat out on the floor, sweating and being pale as though he had no life left in him at all – he was done in. And even though Joe and Caspar didn't want to believe it, just by looking at Dan and the way he was… they could tell that he had met his end and it was the end of the road for him.

Dan shook his head "No, guys… this… this is it… I can't…" Dan said, weakly and breathlessly "just… leave me…" He said, with his eyes half shut.

Joe and Caspar looked at each other as they were unsure as to whether or not they should grant him this wish.

"After all this… I… I didn't think a bullet would… be the end of me," Dan said, letting out a small laugh but gasping for breath and in pain at the same time "but hey-ho… there's only so many times you can… risk your own life before… you… you run out of… times."

"Can't you at least try and make it to the room for Samara and Phil? Or one of them?" Caspar asked, trying to bribe him into ways of getting up and letting himself having a chance of surviving – even though it was obvious he had now ran out of chances.

"I want t-to but… the pain… I can't… It's unbearable…" Dan breathed deeply to catch his breath one last time "just… watch out for Phil a-and look af-after… S-Samara… She ha-has a habit of g-getting hers-self in-into… tr-trouble… don't… don't know if you've n-noticed…"

Joe and Caspar laughed softly. "We will, don't worry." Joe said.

"And also… tell the o-others… i-if they d-d-don't… save the world… I will haunt their ass so b-bad… they'll need a priest." He said, again making the other two boys laugh. And Dan was happy that the last thing he got to see was Joe and Caspar smiling/laughing instead of being sad and crying – even though they were sad and there were tears stinging at their eyes or there were tears streaming down their cheeks slowly. But Dan liked to think that because they were laughing and smiling at what he had just said they were happy.

Dan smiled contently at them before it faded and his eyes shut.

Caspar frowned, fighting back his tears, and Joe began to shake as he could feel the sobs beginning to wrack his body.

The boys didn't have to check his pulse to know that Dan Howell had passed.

Ross and Brad were searching for Luke, Ashton and Rocky with Priscilla, having hold of her but she was now handcuffed as they had found a pair of handcuffs on the dead body of a guard's belt. As they were walking, the three came into their path with Harvey tied up in wire. "Hey, fancy seeing you two here, you caught her?" Ashton said, as they all approached one another.

"No she willingly put herself into these handcuffs." Brad said, sarcastically.

"Where did you catch him?" Ross asked.

"In the technician unit before I helped Riker and Ellington escape and go home in a Wrangler, they got caught in the woods and got brought here, and after he shot Dan." Rocky said.

"What? Is he alright?"

"He should be if Joe and Caspar get him to Rydel, Michael, Calum and Samara in time."

"Right, so… Maxwell's gone and dead, yeah?" Brad asked.

Luke nodded "Yeah. Now all we have to do is deal with these two. This is pretty much it. It's done. It's over."

"Well, what are we gonna do with them?" Ross asked.

"Rocky has a pretty grim idea." Ashton said.

"You know the two bombs Luke and Michael have set to go off in HQ within about fifteen or so minutes?" Rocky asked, Ross and Brad nodded "lock them in there with the bombs as it goes off. It'll kill them both slowly and painfully. If they live through it, I doubt they'll be recognisable as a person or better yet, be mentally and physically alright." Rocky explained.

"I'm down for that." Ross said.

"Alright then, let's go." Rocky said, smiling satisfied.

When the five boys got up to HQ, Ross and Brad undid Priscilla's handcuff – handcuffing one end to a radiator and the other to her hand so that she couldn't move whilst Luke, Ashton and Rocky tied Harvey to a chair with the wire he was in.

Rocky waved at the pair of them as the boys left HQ "Farewell friends, and I'll see you in hell." Rocky said, shutting the door behind him as they exited the area.

The boys all ran from HQ before them bomb would go off, even though they had plenty of time to get away.

Brad breathed deeply "Well, I'm glad that's over with." He said, as the five of them came to a halt in the hallway on the floor below HQ.

"Same." Rocky said.

"Wait. Hold on, that's it. It's over with." Ross said, slowly becoming relieved and happy.

"Yeah, and?" Ashton questioned.

"No more Priscilla, Maxwell and Harvey… No more grandchildren – that's if Bailey, Renzo, Ryan, Ashley and Landon have got and killed Mariah and Isaac – and more importantly… no more warheads. We did it. We saved everyone." He said, laughing in relief.

Luke took a deep breath of relief "Well, thank god for that. I thought it was never going to end." He said, wiping his face.

Ross sighed happily "I am so happy right now." He said, smiling – the others were happy too, but they weren't showing it as much due to the fact that they were tired.

"Wait, who killed Maxwell if he's dead?" Rocky asked.

"I did." Luke said.

"Really?" Ross asked, Luke nodded "oh, you fucking hero." Ross said, grabbing Luke by his face and pulling him in where he kissed him on the lips. He pulled away and Luke wiped his mouth, feeling uncomfortable after that and slightly disgusted.

Ross walked over to Ashton "Thank you for helping him." He said, grabbing his face and kissing him on the head.

He turned to Rocky.

"It's called incest, illegal and a one-way ticket to a punch." Rocky said, just in case Ross thought about kissing him too seen as though he seemed to be on a roll.

Instead, Ross patted his shoulder "Thank you." He said, before turning to Brad.

"Don't even think about it." Brad said, stopping him before he even got close enough to touch him.

"Alright… Let's just wait here for a while until HQ blows up before we go find everyone else and then celebrate. But you're staying away from me." Luke said, pointing at Ross.

Bailey and Renzo were dragging Isaac's unconscious body around as they were trying to find everyone else before he woke up – even though with the collision he had with the spanner round his head, he may not wake up for a while long. "Has everyone just disappeared off the face of the Earth?" Renzo asked, loosening his grip on Isaac which made him drop him.

"Renzo!" Bailey screeched, almost going to the floor with him.

Renzo grabbed hold of him and Isaac started moving – as a signal that he was waking up. "Oh, shit, no! Come on!" Renzo said, where he and Bailey picked up their pace as fast as they could whilst carrying Isaac.

Brad, Ross, Rocky, Luke and Ashton were waiting for the bomb to explode in HQ before they went off to tell everyone it was safe and they could come out of hiding, just in case on the off chance Priscilla or Harvey or both escaped or if everyone came out whilst the bomb was still counting down and they wound up in HQ not knowing – 'cause then the wrong people would die along with the right people. The boys themselves were a fair distance away from HQ so they were safe and the most they would feel or get from it would be the backlash/vibrations from it.

Luke sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall "You have no idea how long I have been waiting to sit down like this. And you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight."

Rocky groaned "Oh man that means I have to go back to sharing a room with you both."

Ashton raised his brow "Excuse me, you wanted us to share your room with you on the last night in 1969 'cause you were scared it was going to be the last time."

"Yeah, well, it obviously wasn't."

"You say that as if you were hoping it was." Brad said.

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" Rocky said, making Luke shake his head and Ashton laugh a little.

"Should we go check with Ryan, Bailey, Renzo, Ashley and Landon to make sure Mariah, Abasi and Isaac are dead or at least captured?" Ashton asked.

"Abasi's dead. Michael killed him, but it wouldn't hurt to try see if Mariah and Isaac are." Ross said.

"Ah, speaking of one of the devils." Brad said, seeing Renzo and Bailey coming with Isaac knocked out in their arms.

"Is he dead?" Rocky asked.

Renzo shook his head "No, Bailey hit him round the head with a spanner and knocked him out – but he's about to wake up!"

Brad took Isaac from them both and kept tight hold of him so he couldn't move or try to escape when he does eventually wake up. "What should we do with him? We don't have anything to kill him with otherwise he would've been dead." Bailey said.

"Why don't we put him with Priscilla and Harvey?" Ross asked.

"Will we have time to?" Brad asked.

Luke checked the time on his watch "We should do," he stayed silent for a short while, staring at his watch, not knowing if he should be concerned or confused or both "well that's funny."

"What?" Rocky asked.

"Either the bombs haven't gone off or they have and they were very silent."

"What do you mean?" Brad asked.

"They should have went off by now. Two minutes ago if we're being exact."

This made the five boys confused, as well as worried, until they heard a smirk which was coming from Isaac. "Considering you've just woke up, I doubt you should be finding anything funny." Brad said.

"I've been awake for a while." Isaac said, his voice croaky and he looked deranged.

"If you were awake why didn't you do anything to me and Bailey whilst we were dragging you up here?" Renzo asked, confused.

"Because I knew this would happen."

"What? That you're going to die?" Ashton asked, not seriously, but in a way that implied Isaac was stupid slash a nut job – even though he was, it was obvious and didn't really need implying.

"Yeah…"

"Why haven't the bombs gone off?" Rocky asked, assuming he knew the reason seen as though he knew this was going to happen.

"Before Mariah was killed by your little friends, Ashley, Ryan and Landon – don't know if you knew that already, I found her dead in the warehouse – she found both the bombs up in HQ. The one on the boiler and the one in one of the offices. So… She made them so that they would freeze. Don't worry, the bombs will go off but they have to be unfrozen and unfortunately the person who unfreezes them will be joining myself, Priscilla and Harvey in the afterlife 'cause one of them is stuck on five seconds whilst the other is stuck on one minute. Once one blows up, it'll trigger the other to go off no matter which one of you unfreeze first."

"Well it's simple isn't it. You can unfreeze them." Rocky said.

Isaac laughed "Do you really trust me to unfreeze a bomb that's going to kill me?"

 _ **THE BELOW PART IS DIFFERENT**_ _ **THE BELOW PART IS DIFFERENT**_ _ **THE BELOW PART IS DIFFERENT**_ _ **THE BELOW PART IS DIFFERENT**_ _ **THE BELOW PART IS DIFFERENT**_ _ **THE BELOW PART IS DIFFERENT**_

Nobody responded as they knew that was true. You wouldn't send someone to set something off that they know fine well is going to kill them when they don't want to or have no intention to die.

So that meant Brad, Ross, Rocky, Luke or Ashton were going to have to do it and die along with him, Priscilla and Harvey – but they also knew that as soon as one of them volunteered there would be arguments.

"Well it's even simpler," Brad said, making everyone look at him "if one bomb goes off and it's going to trigger the other one to go off… Unfreeze the one that's frozen on a minute, leave Isaac in there and get out – once that blows up, it'll trigger the one to blow that's set to detonate in five seconds." He explained.

Isaac's face fell as that thought never even crossed his mind, even though it was Mariah who froze the bombs on them numbers. Rocky laughed at him "Aw bless, you didn't think of that did you? You really aren't that smart."

Brad nudged him in the direction of HQ "Come on then." He said, beginning to take him.

"Wait, are you sure you know how to unfreeze a bomb? Do you want me or Luke to do it instead?" Ashton asked.

"I'll be fine." He said, leaving with Isaac and taking him up to HQ.

"You know, I'm surprised they all actually got this far." Luke said, thinking about Mariah, Isaac, Abasi and Oakley's conjoined stupidity, questioning everyone's intelligence and just how far everyone they were trying to kill would go to protect and for the people they loved – taking Luke himself killing Oakley for almost and attempting to kill Brad and Ashton as an example.

He never thought Luke would do that did he? He thought that he would be mad and upset.

Ross scoffed "Giving the circumstances and the things we've all got ourselves into these last few years – I'm surprised _we've_ got this far."

"Brad, don't bother," Rydel said, where Brad stopped and turned to face the voice as well as the others "it's over."

Everyone stayed silent as they were confused what she meant by that. She was stood with Michael!Brad, Calum and Samara and every single one of them looked down. "What do you mean?" Ross asked.

"We've failed." Calum said.

"How? There's no more warheads left and we've pretty much killed everyone that needed to be." Rocky said, being confused by this.

"We only sent Kyle, Nate and Alex down to the vaults to see if there were any warheads… Don't you find it weird how they never came back to find us and tell us if there were or weren't?" Samara asked, with sadness in her voice and making a complete dreadful silence fall.

"I went down to the vaults to find them but they'd been knocked out along with quite a few warheads that were missing cause they'd been detonated." Calum said.

"Well, we chase them and stop them!" Luke said, being determined to make sure that this wasn't the end.

Rydel shook her head as Joe and Caspar started coming down the hallway "No, we can't. We don't know where the warheads were sent to – they could've been sent anywhere in the world. There's not enough of us to chase after how many warheads that are currently in flight."

"Where are Alex, Kyle and Nate now?" Rocky asked.

"I gave them my wrist-epoch so they could transport themselves home to be with their families as the world ends," Calum said, where everyone looked like they had, had every single bit of life sucked out of them "plus… if we had saved the world when we thought we did… me, Rydel and Michael should've phased out of existence."

Ashton became and looked devastated "We lost…"

"Nobody won." Samara said.

"What's going on?" Joe asked.

"We failed." Ross said, his voice cracking.

Brad shook his head "What… N-no… We can fix this. We always fix it."

"No. Not this time." Rocky said, after a short silence of hope that one of the five boys would come up with something.

Priscilla sat on the floor still handcuffed to the radiator in HQ, awaiting her death, when the door opened and in entered Brad and Ashton, making their way down the hallway. Ashton walked into the room where one of two of the bombs were to disarm it whilst Brad walked over to Priscilla and un-handcuffed her. "What are you both doing?" She asked, surprised and yet somehow relieved they'd obviously had a change of heart to kill her.

"He's disarming the bombs." Brad said numbly, and looking as though he'd lost all emotion and was feeling nothing. Even Ashton did as he came out of the room and walked over to the boiler to disarm the last bomb out of the two – and normally he's full of joy and everything good.

Something was seriously up.

Priscilla was released from the handcuffs and Brad went into the room where Harvey was to release him. "Why are you releasing us and disarming the bombs?" Priscilla asked.

Brad and Ashton looked at each other and back at Priscilla:

"We lost."

 ** _Next:_** _Be A Little Proud_

* * *

 **shit son. hope you liked it. the last 3 or 4 chapters are completely different to the original storyline now so yayyyyy no more having to skip through the story to try and find whats different haha.**

 **Please review to let me know what you think etc. & if you would like to see the rest of the alternate ending. :)**


	3. Be A Little Proud

**Right okay so the last few chapters are now completely different so enjoyyy**

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do**_ **n** **ot** _ **own R5, Bradley Simpson from The Vamps, 5 Seconds of Summer, Dan Howell (danisnotonfire), Joe Sugg (ThatcherJoe), Caspar Lee or Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) - all rights go to Hollywood Records, Virgin EMI/Mercury/Universal Records, Capitol Records & YouTube!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 30  
** _Be A Little Proud_

Whilst Brad and Ashton had gone up to HQ to free Priscilla and Harvey, Ross and Rocky had gone down to the basement to let everyone out so they could escape/run/flee back home however they wanted and as fast as they could to be with their families, friends and loved ones as the world was coming to a devastating end.

Luke had ran to the nearest room that had a TV and switched on the News channel, and it was official. They had failed spectacularly.

Some of the warheads that had been released from the vaults had hit Canberra and Sydney in Australia as well as Spain, Russia and Japan – meaning Luke, Ashton and Landon couldn't go home cause they no longer had a home or family. Hell was breaking lose all over the world, panic was starting and so was a war.

Just like the one that had created Rydel, Calum and Michael's 2037 – only a little bit differently.

Rydel, Michael!Brad and Calum had ordered that everyone that was Brad, Ross, Rocky, Luke, Ashton, Samara, Phil, Renzo, Bailey etc. went to the Epoch Room as they would be safe in there due to the metallic of the room, and nobody would be able to get in unless they let them in.

Ross and Rocky had got back to the Epoch Room where everyone was after letting everyone out the basement. Joe sat on the steps leading up to the Epoch, staring into space with tears in his eyes, with Caspar sat next to him looking numb. Phil was sat in a chair by himself, looking upset – most likely about the world and because he had learnt of Dan's death as well as Samara who was sat on the floor.

Brad was also sat on the floor with his legs brought up to his chest whilst Luke and Ashton were sat on the floor together, where Luke had his arm round Ashton who was leaning into him with his head in his neck. Ross sat down in the nearest spot that was empty and Rocky walked into the middle of the room "I'm sorry. I'm really… really sorry." He said.

And nobody responded.

They knew it wasn't Rocky's fault that this was happening, but they couldn't think of anything to say.

Rocky looked over to Rydel, Michael!Brad, Calum and Courtney "You guys can go back to 2037 if you want. You know and have seen what happens next. I don't think you all need to see it again."

Michael!Brad shook his head "No, we're staying. The world's ended differently to how it did in our 2037 – the only thing that's the same is that it ended because of nuclear warheads being let off."

Rocky nodded as everyone stayed silent. "Does anybody want to leave and go home? We have wrist-epoch's that can get you home, it's absolutely fine if you want to go."

"I want to but… I can't." Ashton said, getting worked up and upset again as tears started streaming down his face. He couldn't go home because Sydney was gone as well as his family – his home was the first place to be hit. Luke put both his arms round him for comfort and kissed his head as he started crying.

"I want to." Bailey said, getting up from where he sat.

"I think it's best we send all five of you home. You don't need to see all this. You need to be with your families." Rocky said, as Bailey, Renzo, Ryan, Landon and Ashley were young and nobody was in the room right now would be able to look after them due to them having some other sort of responsibility during this.

"Well I can't. Australia's pretty much non-existent now. My families dead. All of them. Every last one." Landon said.

"Same here." Luke said, and that wasn't because of the warheads why they were dead.

"Just come with me." Ashley said.

"Are you sure?" Landon asked, and she nodded.

Rydel took the wrist-epoch's Luke and Ashton were using off them, as they didn't need them anymore, and gave one to Ashley, Landon and Renzo to share and the other one to Ryan and Bailey so they could share. "Coordinates are set. Ryan, you're going home first. Renzo, you are too. Afterwards, Ashley and Bailey, just type in your home and it should take you." Rydel said, walking away from them.

Joe got up from the floor "I'm going too. I need to. I need to see her."

"See who?" Ross asked.

"My daughter. I can't leave her all alone with my sister. She needs me."

"You have a daughter?" Brad questioned, becoming baffled.

"Yeah, I do. She's called Jenny and is probably petrified right now so can someone give me a damn wrist-epoch so I can get home!" Joe snapped, then breathing deeply to calm down as tears threatened his eyes.

Rydel took off her wrist-epoch and handed it to him "Here. You and Bailey can share one instead of Ryan and Bailey, but Bailey goes home first, alright?"

Joe nodded as he put on the wrist-epoch and let Bailey type in where his home was. He looked round at everyone in the room "Thank you for everything. Every single one of you. I know I haven't or didn't really show it a lot but… I love you guys a hell of a lot. I wish you all the best that can come out of this situation and I'm sorry I have to leave but… my daughter."

"It's alright, Joe. Don't worry." Rocky said.

Joe smiled a little and let it fall, getting ready to go as well as Bailey who held onto him. "Oh, and one last thing…" Joe said.

Silence fell as Joe looked at Brad, Ross, Rocky, Luke and Ashton individually.

"I believe in you."

And that was the last thing Joe said before he pressed the transport button and he and Bailey disappeared.

Ashley sighed, taking off the wrist-epoch she was wearing and giving it to Renzo "I can't go home either… Spain's been hit too," She said, and Landon put an arm round her "you two may as well go and be with your family."

"Are you sure?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah. I'm not stopping you. I'd do the same if there was a possibility my family were still alive."

Ryan smiled a little before hugging her and Renzo hugged Landon. "It's been fun. Goodbye." Renzo said.

"Goodbye." Landon said.

A few seconds later, Ryan and Renzo disappeared one after the other to go home.

The entire room shook, meaning that somewhere else had now been hit – and because everyone was panicking and doing ridiculous things whilst in a state of panic.

Luke stroked Ashton's hair "You call her Lucy," he said, making Ashton look at him confused "I know you're pregnant. When we both got sent to different futures, I got sent to the one where it ends and we didn't save the world. AKA this one. She was there with Michael."

"Oh… So this is why you've been acting the way you have with me." Ashton said, coming to a realisation of how Luke's behaviour in the last few hours was finally making sense and Luke nodded. "What was she like?" Ashton asked, as by the way Luke had just worded his sentence it sounded as though Ashton wasn't there – aka he wasn't/isn't going to be alive.

"Beautiful." Luke said.

Ashton smiled a little and Luke kissed his lips gently before putting his arm back round Ashton.

"I'm going to die in the next few minutes." Luke said, making everyone in the room turn their attention to him.

Ashton immediately sat up from Luke's arms "W-what? Why?"

"Maxwell's still alive."

Maxwell made his way purposefully through the base with a gun in his hand, ignoring everyone who was running by and panicking, in the attempt to find Luke and kill him with so much as giving it a second thought.

Luke got up off the floor and Ashton got up straight after him "What? No! You don't know that!" Ashton said.

"I do. Michael and Lucy told me when I went to the future the world ends because Maxwell kills me 'cause we all thought he was dead after I threw him off the roof but he survived." Luke said.

"Watch me." Rocky said, about ready to run out of Maxwell and kill him before he even got a chance to come anywhere near the science unit.

"No, Rocky," Luke said, putting his arm out as if to stop him. He looked back at Ashton "I'm the one who threw him off the roof in the attempt to kill him so therefore he's coming for me and nobody else. I may as well just go to him to save anybody else in here getting hurt or killed."

The room shook again from yet another explosion.

"Sure… Surely there's another way. Surely we can kill him before he kills you." Ashton said.

Luke sighed and shook his head "No… I don't know where he is. He knows where I am."

"There you go! You know where he is! He's making his way here!"

"Ash…"

Ashton looked round at everyone in the room as a silence fell "Why can't someone else go look for him and kill him?" He asked, where Luke tried to speak but he couldn't get a word in "what about you, Rocky? Can't you?"

"Ashton." Luke said, getting slightly worried by the way he was now acting.

"What? And get killed the moment he sees me?" Rocky questioned.

Ashton shrugged "W-well… I don't know."

"Ashton, stop." Luke said.

 ** _BANG._**

 ** _BANG._**

 ** _BANG._**

"Luke. I know you're in there." Maxwell said from the other side of the door after aggressively knocking on it.

"I'll go." Ashton said.

"No you won't! This is my fault. I should've made sure he was dead like I was told to instead of assuming he was 'cause he fell from the roof." Luke said.

"I don't care if it's your fault, let someone else go. Please. I don't wanna be without you."

"I can't send someone else, that's not the right thing to do and you know it. This is the way it's supposed to happen." Luke said, trying to be nice and calm despite the fact that Ashton was clearly starting to lose his mind in front of him.

"I don't care!" Ashton raised his voice a little.

"Shut up, yes you do. You always do and always have. You can't stay mad, angry or hurtful in anyway at someone for longer than five seconds without feeling guilty or letting yourself forgive the person you're angry and mad at because you have too much compassion and empathy which is one of the reasons on the very long list of why I love you. You care too much and you know it." Luke snapped, his voice cracking a little.

Ashton shook his head "No I don't."

"You do. And I know it." Silence fell again as Luke took a step closer to him "Ash… Please… If this is the last time I see you please… Don't… don't turn into this. Don't start turning into a person that doesn't care, 'cause it's not you. I know it's not. I mean, you can try to be uncaring and heartless but I guarantee it'll last about five minutes before you start crying with guilt." He said, making Ashton laugh a little.

"Luke!" Maxwell shouted from outside the door, and banging on it again.

Luke looked around at Michael!Brad, Phil, Rydel and Courtney as they had the most knowledge about time travel "Just in case there is a way… Is there any way he can die before he kills me? That way he doesn't."

"We've messed with the future too many times and now look what's happened. Dan was right. You should never mess with the past that leads to a certain future… It can change it in dramatic ways – good or bad – or make it even worse than it is." Phil said, staring out into space.

Luke nodded, seeing how it was fair. He breathed deeply "Well, if Dan can do it so can I."

"Do what?" Ashton asked.

"Die bravely and rightfully."

Ashton shook his head and wiped his face "No. No. This isn't happening. No." He said, trying not to get upset 'cause if Luke died all he'd have left is Brad "I shouldn't have done this. This is all my fault."

"Done what?" Luke asked, confused.

"Brought you here. I sh… When I came here for the first time by myself all those years ago, I should never have put forward the idea of you coming too when you were old enough. M-maybe then none of this would've happened."

"Oh and you would have rather me be miserable back in Sydney without you?" Luke retorted/questioned "you were the only friend I had back there and you left me to come here so I followed you because I wanted to, not because you put forward the idea."

"I know but still! I should have looked after you better just like your Mum asked me too 'cause she worried about what would happened to you and now look! And I should have just taken care of and looked after you anyway."

"I didn't ask you to." Luke said.

"You shouldn't have to! If you love someone they shouldn't have to ask for you to take care of them."

 ** _BANG!_**

Maxwell had begun to try and shoot off the lock, but it wasn't working and the gun going off unexpectedly made Samara scream as she was closest to the Epoch door.

"I think he's getting impatient…" Ross said, even though he didn't want Luke to go and be killed by him.

"He can't get through the door, the lock can't be shot off so easily." Calum said.

"Luke, I'm so sorry. If I'd have known that Mariah, Abasi, Isaac and Oakley had this planned—" Courtney said, feeling very guilty, and only to be cut off.

"No, Courtney." Luke said.

"No, really, I—"

"Seriously Courtney, shut up. If you keep going on with that explanation and start to feel the slightest bit guilty I swear—"

 ** _BANG!_**

This time, the Epoch door lock sparked a little. "LUKE!" Maxwell shouted, getting and sounding really impatient.

Luke looked at Ashton, knowing that his time was becoming very, very short "You. Listen to me. I'm leaving and you're going to be alone, all you're going to have is Brad and Lucy when she's born. You're gonna be sad, you're going to be very angry but listen, okay? Don't let this change who you are, don't let this turn you into someone I wouldn't recognise or even begin to believe was you. You look after Brad and you look after Lucy, that's the most important thing."

"What's the point in looking after them when I couldn't even look after you?" Ashton asked, looking at him sadly.

"Look after yourself. Don't let this turn you into a monster or into someone like Priscilla, Maxwell and Harvey, 'cause I can see it slowly bubbling in your eyes and by your facial expression. Don't do it. Please. I don't want to be looking down on you and seeing you as this… Person I don't want to know. I'm not asking you to promise me, I'm telling you to 'cause that way you have to do it. Do not insult my memory. Do not hurt anybody thinking it's their fault I'm gone, 'cause it's nobody's fault – it's my own. You don't change at all. You look after our kids. And more importantly… Nobody suffers at all."

"What about me?"

Luke cracked a small sad smile "If there was something I could do about that, you know I would. We're just both going to have to be brave."

Ashton let out a small sob, being unable to hold back his sadness, and Luke immediately hugged him, and he hugged back. Ashton went to speak but Luke stopped him "No, don't. I know what you're going to say. I know every single word of what you're about to say. Everything. Just… Please not now." Luke said softly.

 ** _BANG!_**

"Luke, I swear to god if you do not come out here in the next two minutes, you won't be the only one I kill." Maxwell said, threateningly and angrily.

"I'm coming! Jesus Christ, give a man chance to say goodbye." Luke said, after pulling away from the hug with Ashton and raising his voice so Maxwell could hear him. Maxwell was then heard walking away from the door – not leaving, but to hide.

"Please don't go on your own. Let me come with you." Ashton said.

Luke smiled a little and shook his head "No. You stay here, everyone does this alone. I don't want you to see this."

"But—"

"Ever since I've came to this place and have been in the situations we've been in… This is as brave as I know how to be. Trust me. You should know that in any situation we're in – expect and accept death. And I know this is gonna hurt you but please… Be a little proud of me. He's not going to rest until he kills me and you know it."

The pair stared at each other for a moment, clearly forgetting that everyone else was in the room with them, but they didn't care that they had. Even Brad didn't, even though he was expecting some sort of goodbye from Luke as he is his Father after all – but watching Luke and Ashton, that didn't matter to him.

"Brad…"

Brad looked up from where he sat and saw Luke standing in front of him, holding out his hand. He took it and Luke pulled him up from the floor where he brought him into a hug and Brad immediately hugged back. "I don't want you to go." Brad said, sadly and quietly.

"I know," Luke said, also lowering his voice so nobody else could make out what the pair were saying "be good."

"It's the end of the world how am I supposed to be good?"

"I don't know… Isn't it what every Dad says to their child before leaving and never coming back?" Luke questioned, making Brad laugh a little.

"So what you're trying to say is that you're trying to be mainstream and cliché?"

"I have no idea what I'm doing to be honest."

A short silence fell between them both as tears started stinging at Brad's eyes. "Take care of them both, I don't want anything bad happening to them, I'd die inside of anything did, and it's most likely to given the circumstances of the world now. And most importantly look after yourself, I don't want you getting hurt or killed either – now that would kill me." Luke said.

Brad nodded, still being in the hug with Luke "I will, I promise. I won't let anything come so much as a metre or two close to them."

"Thank you."

Brad sighed tightly and shut his eyes, trying not to let any tears fall. "I love you, Dad."

Luke held him a bit tighter, now also trying not to cry "I love you too, son."

He pulled away from the hug and gently kissed him on the forehead before giving him one last look and going back over to Ashton.

Luke looked at the Epoch door and it was there and then that the pair, and everyone else, knew it was Luke's time to go. "I love you." Ashton said, his voice cracking sadly.

"I love you too."

The couple kissed each other – it being the final time they would ever do so. They slowly pulled away after a short while, trying to make the kiss last for as long as they could, and Luke held onto Ashton's hand, kissing it gently "Goodbye, Ash." He said.

 ** _BANG!_**

 ** _BANG!_**

Luke breathed deeply and let go of Ashton's hand, making his way out of the Epoch Room with his gun in his hand – making it appear as though he was going to try and kill Maxwell, but unfortunately he knew the gun was empty and had no bullets.

He got into the hallway but Maxwell wasn't there so he started walking up the hallway, being scared even though he knew what was to come. Despite Luke telling him not to, Ashton followed him out of the room and watched him from the door.

Luke got halfway up the hallway when Maxwell appeared with his gun in his hand, beginning to fill it up with bullets which gave Luke his cue to stop walking and stay put where he was. He dropped the gun out of his hand as he knew it wasn't going to help him at all being empty. Maxwell's fun was refilled and he aimed it at Luke, pulling the hammer back and Luke opened his arms welcomingly for him to do so. Maxwell put his finger on the trigger.

 ** _BANG!_**

 ** _BANG!_**

 ** _BANG!_**

 ** _BANG!_**

 ** _BANG!_**

 ** _BANG!_**

 ** _BANG!_**

 ** _BANG!_**

 ** _BANG!_**

Luke gasped and Ashton froze in shock that what had just happened before Luke started screaming in pain that felt like it echoed throughout and everybody in the base could hear it. Everyone who was sat in the Epoch Room jumped the moment they heard him scream in pain and became horrified.

A few seconds later, Luke stopped screaming and collapsed to the floor. Ashton was tempted and went to run over to him but he stopped due to what Luke had said to him beforehand. But he didn't care. Ashton ran to him anyway, as he didn't want Maxwell's face being the last face he seen, and knelt next to him where he seen Luke's eyes fluttering shut.

Ashton stroked his face gently so that Luke opened up his eyes one last time and he did, letting a very small smile creep upon his face when he seen Ashton before his eyes shut completely.

He was dead.

Ashton frowned, biting back tears, and kissed his head before getting up off the floor and glancing at Maxwell before making his way back into the room.

 ** _BANG!_**

 ** _Next:_** _Every Plan Results in Death_

* * *

 **Please review to let me know what you think etc. & if you would like to see the rest of the alternate ending. :)**


	4. Non-existent

_**Disclaimer: I do**_ **n** **ot** _ **own R5, Bradley Simpson from The Vamps, 5 Seconds of Summer, Dan Howell (danisnotonfire), Joe Sugg (ThatcherJoe), Caspar Lee or Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) - all rights go to Hollywood Records, Virgin EMI/Mercury/Universal Records, Capitol Records & YouTube!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 31  
** _Non-existence_

Ashton froze at the sound of the last gunshot, thinking that Maxwell had also shot him. He slowly turned round seeing blood seeping from Maxwell's head before he collapsed to the floor. Ashton was confused, but then became shocked when he seen Priscilla stood there with a gun in her hand, being the one to have shot Maxwell dead.

"Oh, how I wish I could have realised what we were doing was wrong sooner." She said.

"At what point did you realise?"

"The moment Ross and Brad caught me but by then it was too late."

"Why have you left the base to go home and be with your family?" Ashton asked, after a short pause.

"Because. You're going to save the world."

Ashton scoffed "No we're not. It's over. It's ending. The world is becoming poisoned with radiation, my family is dead, and the only person I've ever loved is now dead! Trust me. The world has ended."

"Well… You and your friends better think of something fast to save them all." Priscilla said, making her way towards the Epoch Room and Ashton immediately followed as he knew for a fine fact someone was bound to attack her the moment she stepped foot in the room.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Samara asked, the minute the door opened and Priscilla walked in.

Rocky drew out his gun and aimed it at her.

"Whoa, wait no!" Ashton raised his voice, stopping him.

Rocky looked at him confused "Why are you saving her life?"

"She's on our side now," He said, and Rocky scoffed "she just shot Maxwell dead."

"Fuck off, no…" Ross said, in disbelief.

"Proofs out there as well as Luke." Ashton said, trying to stop himself from getting upset.

Ashton looked over to where Brad was, seeing he was sat on the floor again looking really numb and upset and like he could burst into tears at any moment – obviously over Luke. Ashton went over to him and helped him off the floor "Come here." He said, hugging him in comfort and kissing the top of his head and Brad hugged him back, just resting his head on his chest.

"Why are you here?" Caspar asked, Priscilla.

"'Cause you're going to save the world." She responded.

"Hunny, have you not took a look outside or at the news? It's a bit too late for that." Ross said.

"Yes I have. What's the big deal? How's that stopping you? Apart from the fact there's quite a few of you missing."

Silence fell as Brad and Ashton pulled away from their hug to engage in the conversation that was going on but nobody was speaking or responding to what she had just asked.

Priscilla rolled her eyes "Oh, come on. You guys are the dream team. Quite possibly the greatest team that the world has ever seen – even though they technically haven't seen you."

"Anybody else wanting to burst into song right now?" Brad asked, beginning to hum the chorus of _History_ by _One Direction._

"Surely you guys must have something." Priscilla said, not believing for a moment there wasn't at least part of a plan bubbling away inside of one of them.

"Priscilla. We don't. It's over. OVER. The world is at its end, it's about to become an in-habitual home filled with radiation that we as humans cannot withstand without dying or mutating." Ross said, being clearly fed up of her already and she hadn't been in the room 5 minutes yet.

"Well, I still believe in you."

Phil had his brow furrowed, thinking as something had come to mind – after putting pieces together of Luke and Ashton's conversation.

 _"When I came here for the first time by myself all those years ago, I should never have put forward the idea of you coming too when you were old enough. M-maybe then none of this would have happened."_

Maybe then none of this would have happened.

"We could go back to the moment we fucked up. But let's be honest, where? There's been a lot of moments where we fucked up but we don't know which the major one that caused this was." Calum said.

"The warheads. We could go back to when Kyle, Nate and Alex went down to the vaults to check the warheads and go with them." Rocky suggested.

Ross shook his head "No, even though it'll save everyone, Dan will still die. If we're going to do this all over again I'd rather we do it so everyone who's died lives."

Priscilla smiled, being satisfied that she had set them off on coming up with a plan to save the world even though it had pretty much ended.

"Plus, the plane that blew up with the warhead on me, you, Joe and Caspar tried to disarm. It's bound to have landed somewhere and all that radiation will affect wherever it landed – we weren't above water either. We were above a city or a town. That'll only start something, people will have assumed it was an attack from another country." Brad said/explained/reminded them.

"Well, I can't think of anywhere else where we managed to screw up apart from those two times. But we can't stop one without the other happening 'cause we don't know when the warheads in the vaults were set off." Rydel said.

Rocky sighed heavily, becoming stressed "I swear to god, this would be so much easier if we didn't meet or come to work here in the first place."

Phil's head rose and he looked at everyone as a silence fell whilst they were trying to think of something "That's it."

"What?" Ross asked.

"This all happened because all of you met and came here. If you all hadn't have met, Will wouldn't have put you five as a team, you wouldn't have started getting on Priscilla, Maxwell and Harvey's nerves, they wouldn't have tried to get rid of you by attempting to destroy the world which means that wouldn't have sent you all back in time to where you guys built the base. If the base wasn't built or you guys refused to build it… None of this would've happened."

"So… What you're saying is… Go back in time to ensure Brad, Ross, Rocky, Luke and Ashton don't meet and bam… the future changes?" Samara asked.

Phil nodded "Yeah. That way Luke and Dan don't die and the world doesn't end."

"And I don't exist," Brad said, making everyone turn to him "think about it. Luke and Ashton got together 'cause they came here… If it wasn't for them coming here, I wouldn't be standing here. If they'd have stayed in Sydney they wouldn't have got together and I would be non-existent. And… If we do go back in time to make sure none of us meet… Dan and Luke may not die but you'll lose me."

Everyone didn't or couldn't respond as they hadn't thought about that part of making sure everyone stays alive and well.

"You know, it's not going to be so easy making sure that you all don't meet 'cause there's a lot of key moments that happened for you all to meet. Say if one moment didn't happen for you to meet, the next moment that happened would make you all meet." Rydel said.

"Like what?" Caspar asked.

"Think about it. Phil got Dan to come to the base where then the pair came up with the idea of the situation and scenario for the five of them. Will took that idea from them both and decided to use it for the right people when they came along. Ashton comes and brings Luke with him a while later 'cause he's lonely. Rocky comes and does the same with Ross. Ross saves Brad from being killed by patrol after coming here on some sort of little holiday with his friend and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Basically, we need to stop Phil from coming to the base, we also need to stop Dan from coming to the base to make sure 'BRRAL' is never created, we need to make sure Ashton doesn't come so that way he doesn't bring Luke or we need to stop Rocky from coming so he doesn't bring Ross who saves Brad." Rydel explained.

"Yeah but how are you going to do that?" Ashton asked "you can't sneak into our houses in the past at where we decided to come – we'll freak out!"

"Plus, they won't go off the word of a stranger and you can't destroy the letters that were sent. Application ones and the one Phil wrote to Dan. Other applicant forms will only be sent and Phil will only ring Dan to ask him if he doesn't receive the letter." Michael!Brad said.

Rocky sighed, again being stressed as they didn't seem to be finding a loop hole "Jesus Christ, at this rate the only way we're gonna stop this is if we go into the past and ki…" Rocky stopped as realisation hit him of what needed to be done "kill either me, Ashton, Dan or Phil."

"A-all of us or just one..?" Ashton asked.

"If we can't settle on someone, all of us."

Ross sighed "Why does every plan always have to result in someone dying?"

"Look at it this way – it won't affect you 'cause you won't know us." Phil said.

"I'll know Rocky 'cause he's my brother, what if you decide to kill him?" Ross asked, suddenly getting defensive and agitated.

"STOP!" Rydel shouted, cutting everyone off before arguments started.

"Right, why don't we just look at what happens if we kill each individual?" Courtney asked/suggested.

"Go on." Caspar said.

"If we kill Ashton before he gets Luke to the base, Luke doesn't go obviously. And if Ashton's not at the base, Rocky's not going to have a friend – even though they didn't get along at first. He'll feel slightly left out and decide to go home, thus resulting in him not bringing Ross." Rydel said.

"He was friends with me and Joe." Caspar reminded her.

"True. So that way he'll stay and bring Ross… but Ross won't have Brad to save 'cause he'll be non-existent due to Ashton being dead and he and Luke not dating. And because Luke isn't there Ross will leave. And out of the five of you, only Rocky would be there."

"We need them all not to be there though." Phil said.

"Right, okay, true… Ashton, you're safe."

"Good to know." Ashton said, slightly sarcastically.

"If Rocky dies, Ashton will be here and bring Luke but Ross won't come – but there's a possibility Brad might."

"Guys, I know who needs to die," Phil said, grabbing everyone's attention "me or Dan."

"How?" Ross asked.

"'Cause… If I didn't send Dan that letter, he wouldn't have came, which means I wouldn't have put forward the idea I had which gave you five a job, therefore Ashton wouldn't have had anybody to give him the confidence to stay here or bring Luke which means he would've went home or he may not have came at all. Rocky wouldn't have brought Ross 'casue he would've probably left or not come at all. Therefore, you five wouldn't have been put as a team to save everyone, you guys wouldn't have gone back in time and built the base… and… we wouldn't be here right now. Me and Dan coming to the base started off the chain reaction of these events happening. It needs to be one of us 'cause if Dan didn't come to the base, I would have went home without a shadow of a doubt. More importantly, to Joe, Stacey – the mother of his daughter and his girlfriend – would still be alive."

"And Will." Rocky added.

"So, who's it going to be?" Ashton asked.

Phil breathed deeply "Dan's already dead, so he's had his turn… I think it's only fair I do."

"So… We do this… Go back in time and kill Phil… We all have normal lives, never meet and none of this happens." Ross said.

"Yeah."

Brad sighed deeply, feeling a little down that this had to happen for the world to be saved. Ross frowned and became upset, knowing that Brad was going to disappear into non-existence 'cause it was because of the base that Luke and Ashton got together. "Brad, I'm sorry…" Ross said, not knowing what else to say.

"No, it's fine. Honestly. If the sacrifice of saving the world means me not existing at all and us never knowing each other so be it…" Brad said, not really wanting this to happen but he knew it was for the best.

Ross shook his head "No, Brad—"

"Ross. Seriously. It's fine. I'd rather it be this way."

"No you wouldn't."

"What's my life compared to the billions of women, children and men that are out there dying right now? If my life being taken means them living, I don't care. I'd rather die."

Ross stayed silent, not knowing what to say or add to that.

They were literally so alike, Brad and Luke, that was all that was running through Ashton's mind as he looked at him – Brad was literally another version of Luke. And like Luke before he died, Brad doesn't care about it.

"So how are we going to do this?" Samara asked, getting up from where she sat on the floor.

"I'm not sure." Rocky said.

"Seen as though Brad isn't exactly going to be around, or even exist for that matter, when we do it, why doesn't he just do it? Go into the past and kill Phil?" Calum suggested.

Brad scoffed "Wow. The last act of my life. Murder."

"It's to save the world though." Phil said.

The room shook violently to the point where everyone lost their balance and almost fell. "Alright, no, this needs to be done and decided now before we die right here." Rocky said.

Everyone immediately looked at Brad. "Are you going to do it?" Caspar asked.

Brad stayed silent for a few seconds whilst he thought about it "I don't really want to kill my friend but… if it saves the world and stops this from happening… then… I guess," He said, where then Calum handed him a wrist-epoch "any preferences on how you want to be killed?" Brad asked, as Phil typed in a date and time of where he'd be, and he laughed a little at the question "shot? Stabbed? Ran over by a car?"

"I'd rather be shot it'd be quicker." Phil said.

"Alright."

"Do me a favour though. Don't do it in front of Dan, make sure he's not around. I don't want him to witness it, it's bad enough he'll be broken and upset just hearing about me being dead – as vain as it sounds."

"Don't worry, I won't." Brad reassured.

"And after you've done it… Go to him. Tell him I said to do something good with his life, whatever he wants, whatever makes him happy – for me if he can't do it for himself. I want him to be happy."

Brad nodded. "Anybody else want a visit from me?" He asked, jokingly.

"Go on, stop talking, times running out. Go save the world." Rocky said.

"Motivational words. Probably the last thing I'm ever gonna hear fall from your mouth, never expected it to be something motivational." Brad said, slightly shocked and surprised.

"Fuck sake, you pompous British twat, shut up and go before we all die." Rocky said, snapping slightly.

"There we go."

Brad went to press the button when Rydel stopped him "There is a way you can get yourself to exist again…" Rydel said.

"How?"

"Get Luke and Ashton together – find wherever they are in Australia or in the world, talk to them and make sure it ends in them questioning if they do love each other and want to be in a relationship."

"Got it. Do I do this before or after I've killed Phil?"

"After. If you do it before you'll only find yourself back here but then you'll be on a time limit before you phase out of existence."

Brad nodded and stepped away from Rydel "Well then… Better get to it." He said, about to press the transport button but got stopped again.

"No, only use the wrist-epoch to transport yourself from past me to where Luke and Ashton are." Phil said.

"Well what the hell am I gonna use to get to you if I can't use this?" Brad asked.

"Look behind you."

Brad turned round, seeing the Epoch. "But it'll blow up if he uses it." Ross said.

"Exactly. This is the only piece of time travel that everyone knows about in the base, some people might try to use it to stop this from happening and we don't want that 'cause Brad's doing it now. If we destroy it, there's no more time travel. Only the wrist-epoch's and mini-epoch's but they'll get destroyed in the explosion the Epoch makes." Phil said.

"If that's the case do we stay here or do we run?" Caspar asked.

"We're not going to survive being in this world now anyway so we may as well stay. I am anyway, if everybody else wants to run that's fine." Rocky said.

"I'm staying." Ross said.

"Me too." Samara said.

Everyone else in the room pretty much agreed to stay and die from the explosion of the Epoch. Phil motioned for Brad to get onto the Epoch whilst he went to the panel and started typing stuff in. For that moment, everyone was quiet as they were left to their own thoughts.

"What do you think – in this new life we're about to have – we'll end up doing?" Ross asked.

"I have no idea." Rocky said, beginning to think about it as he hadn't really thought about what he would be doing if he never came to the base.

"Any money I'll be at university 'cause that was my second option after this." Samara said.

"Not existing." Calum said.

"Same." Rydel and Michael!Brad both said.

Courtney shrugged "I have no idea. I didn't experience what the real world was like and the things you could do."

"I'm not sure what I'll be doing." Mia said.

"I'll probably still be at school or at college." Ashley said.

"Yeah, same here." Landon said.

"I'll be dead." Phil said.

"Entertaining people. I hope so anyway." Caspar said.

"I can see that, you're quite funny sometimes." Rocky said, making Caspar smile and laugh a little. "What about you and Luke, Ash? What do you reckon you'd both be doing?" He asked.

Ashton shrugged "I'm not sure to be honest. I wasn't really good at anything, neither was Luke really – not to offend him or anything."

"Come on there must be something, surely you both had some hobbies on the side." Ross said.

"Well, yeah but… I doubt we'd have done anything with it," Ashton said, and everyone stayed silent awaiting him to explain "Luke could sing. He was freaking amazing and he could play guitar – so I lied, that was what he was good at before coming here."

"Really?!" Rocky asked, surprised "I've never heard him sing."

"Me too." Brad said.

"Trust me, he had a very special talent with music – I don't even understand why he came here." Ashton said.

"I think we all know why he did." Rocky said, and almost everyone nodded in agreement. Because Luke wanted to be with Ashton.

"Did you have any sort of talent with music?" Samara asked.

"Not really no. I used to be able to play drums a little but that's it. What about you guys? What do you reckon you'll be doing?" Ashton asked.

Ross shrugged "I have no idea. I can't even remember what I wanted to do before I came here."

Everyone became quiet again before Ashton looked and walked over to Brad, breaking the silence. "Good luck." He said.

"What if I fail?" Brad asked.

"You won't." Ashton said.

"But what if I do?"

"Then we get a second chance to do it again. Don't worry, you'll be fine. I believe in you."

"Ohh, I'm really scared." Brad said, being really nervous he was going to screw this up somehow. Ashton wrapped his arms around Brad and gave him one last hug.

Phil had managed to get everything ready and rearing to go on the Epoch, all that was left was for him to press the button "Everyone ready?" Phil asked.

"Fuck, not really." Ross said, starting to feel nervous as he neared to Rocky.

Ashton let go of Brad, give him a small smile and made his way towards the Epoch door. "Where are you going?" Brad asked.

"Are you leaving so you can live?" Caspar asked.

Ashton shook his head "No, Luke's outside the door. I know he may be dead already, but I'd rather be with him whilst I die."

Nobody protested, they just let him go, understanding. Ashton went out to where Luke was on the floor dead and he laid down next to him, putting his head on his chest – where usually when he does, he can feel his heart beating, but not anymore – and he held onto him with one arm whilst using the other to hold one of Luke's arms around him.

Brad breathed deeply as Phil was about to press the button "Thank you. See you on the other side." He said.

"See ya." Ross said.

Brad smiled at him and Phil pressed the button, jumping down and Brad shut his eyes and breathed deeply as the Epoch started doing its thing. In a very big flash of blue light that almost blinded everyone, Brad disappeared which meant everyone was left to wait for the Epoch to blow up – with it not being able to withstand its own power.

"Why isn't it exploding?" Ross asked, after a couple seconds.

"Are you complaining?" Rocky asked.

"No."

 ** _BOOM_**

 ** _Next:_** _Kill Phil_

* * *

 **Please review to let me know what you think etc. & if you would like to see the rest of the alternate ending. :)**


	5. Kill Phil

_**Disclaimer: I do**_ **n** **ot** _ **own R5, Bradley Simpson from The Vamps, 5 Seconds of Summer, Dan Howell (danisnotonfire), Joe Sugg (ThatcherJoe), Caspar Lee or Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) - all rights go to Hollywood Records, Virgin EMI/Mercury/Universal Records, Capitol Records & YouTube!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 32  
** _Kill Phil_

 **Year: 2007  
** **Date: November 18th  
** **Location: Rawtenstall, Lancashire, United Kingdom (England)**

It was night time and everything was peacefully quiet.

Past!Phil was walking the streets to go home after going to Wokingham, Berkshire to go see his best friend Dan for a couple days. He wanted to go get home fast so he decided to take a shortcut down an alleyway. Brad walked a short distance behind him, shaking with nerves a little bit at the fact that what he was about to do was going to change the future very drastically – and he didn't want to mess it up.

He sped up a little when Phil turned to go down the alleyway and became a shorter distance away from him "Phil!" Brad called.

Past!Phil turned around and seen Brad, being confused "Do I know you..?" He asked.

"Not yet, no. But… You're never going to now."

"What?"

"Please, Phil… For the love of God do not run. Whatever you do. Please. I don't wanna do this, but I have to for the sake of this world."

Past!Phil began getting nervous as Brad walked towards him and became face to face with him. "You have a friend called Dan, don't you?" Brad said.

Past!Phil nodded "Yeah, I've just got back from seeing him."

"Cool. Where does he live? Is it Wokingham?"

"Yeah, Wokingham, Berkshire, why?"

"Just wondering, that's all. What's he like?" Brad asked.

"He's nice, very awkward sometimes. Why are you asking me about him?"

"I'm interested to know what he was like."

"Erm… Well, he's probably the number one procrastinator in the world. He's been having a miserable time lately, so I've been trying to lift up his spirits a bit but I'll only do that to bring them back down before I tell him I'm leaving to go work in America in some desert."

Brad had his hand on the handle of the gun, ready to shoot him – he wanted to do it whilst he wasn't expecting it 'cause that way there'll be no tears, no screaming and no running. "Oh, that'll upset him. Is he nice, Dan?" Brad asked.

Past!Phil nodded "Yeah, he's the nicest person I've ever met. He's so funny too, I don't know where I'd be without him to be honest. He may not think it most of the time but he has had huge impacts on people's lives and he doesn't even realise it."

"I can imagine."

"I'd hate to see this world without him, that's for sure." Past!Phil said, having a nice happy smile on his face.

"Hey, is that Dan behind you? I thought you said you'd come alone." Brad said.

Past!Phil became confused, still smiling though "Huh?" He said, turning round to look.

 ** _BANG!_**

 ** _BANG!_**

And just like that, Phil was dead and wasn't going to the base.

Dan wasn't going to the base where he would meet Joe.

Joe would now never meet Stacey and have their daughter Jenny. He wouldn't meet Caspar either.

Dan and Phil would now never come up with 'BRRAL'.

Will would now never have that idea to make his own in Phil's memory.

Ashton was never coming to the base, and he was never bringing Luke with him.

Rocky was also not coming to the base and never bringing Ross with him.

Luke and Ashton were now never going to be in a relationship that would make Brad exist.

Brad wasn't coming to the base either because now he doesn't exist.

Brad, Ross, Rocky, Luke and Ashton were now not going to Afghanistan where Ashton would be shot dead.

Brad, Ross, Rocky and Luke were now not returning to the base after it, attending his funeral, going on a break and coming back to the base to find a zombie apocalypse has broken out around the world.

Ross and Rocky were now never going to meet Rydel, Riker and Ellington.

They were never going to find Brad and Luke.

Ross was never going to save the world from the apocalypse.

Ross was never going to tell Ashton about the zombie apocalypse that only he could remember and nobody else.

Luke and Ashton were now never going to have a baby which would turn out to be Brad.

Brad was now no longer Luke and Ashton's baby because he no longer exists.

Samara was not going to kidnap their baby to avoid her death from happening.

Dan was now not going to help her escape from jail.

Rocky is now not going to get trapped in 1995 after putting Brad there with his adoptive parents.

Priscilla, Maxwell and Harvey were now not going to get Brad, Ross, Luke and Ashton arrested for false reasons.

The five were now never going to be on the run with the help of Dan, Joe, Caspar, Bailey, Renzo, Ryan, Ashley and Landon.

They were never going to meet their future kids Rydel, Michael and Calum.

They're never going to come up with a plan to save the world.

They're never going to be put against each other by Priscilla, Maxwell and Harvey and sent to the woods.

They're never going to go back to 1959 to get away from them and build the base, not knowing what it is they're building.

More importantly.

The world was now not going to end.

Brad checked Phil's pulse, ignoring the blood seeping from his head and checked that he was in fact dead.

 **Date: November 19th  
Location: Dan's House, Wokingham, Berkshire, United Kingdom (England)**

Past!Dan came downstairs to someone knocking on his front door the next morning. He opened the door to see a brown haired boy stood there, Brad. "Can I help you?" Dan asked.

 _Holy shit he looks so young_ Brad thought to himself. Well, he will be only sixteen.

Holy hell. This was sixteen year old Dan, Brad was face-to-face with – and the last time Brad seen Dan he was twenty-four! Twenty four. Twenty. Four. 2. 4. Now, he's sixteen and this could very well be the last time Brad sees him.

"Hello..?" Past!Dan said, finding it weird how the guy was just staring at him.

"Sorry," Brad said, snapping out of his trance "y-you're friends with Phil Lester, right?" He asked, and Past!Dan nodded "um… I have some bad news. He's dead."

"W-what..?"

Brad nodded "Yeah… He died last night on his way home. He took a short cut through an alley and someone shot him until he was dead."

"Is this a joke?" Past!Dan asked, not wanting to believe it.

Brad shook his head "No, I'm sorry. I wish it was. I got sent here to come tell you 'cause I was there when it happened," He said, where Past!Dan fell silent, all of a sudden looking emotionless and numb "is there anything I can do for you?" He asked.

"I wish… If I'd have known that… yesterday was the last time I'd seen him… I'd have said a lot more than 'bye' and 'see you later'…" Past!Dan said, where tears suddenly started stinging at his eyes.

"Yeah… I know," Brad said, feeling sad for him "he wanted me to tell you something though," he added, which made Past!Dan look at him "he said that he wanted you to be happy and for you to do something good with your life and do whatever you want. Make him proud with whatever you do. Just make sure you're happy, that's all he cares about. It's all I care about."

Past!Dan nodded with tears streaming down his face "Thank you… I guess at least that's some sort of closure with him."

"Closure?"

"Yeah. Everyone needs closure with someone they're never going to see again, don't they? Some people don't get it – like me. But I got a form of closure."

"Yeah… That's true…" Brad said, where he started to think "I'm gonna go now, it was nice seeing you. Thanks for telling me that."

"Why? Where are you going?" Past!Dan asked, slightly confused.

"I'm going to go check up on a few people."

 ** _Next:_** _A New Reality_

* * *

 **The next chapter could very well be the last one as well as a really freaking long one.**

 **Please review to let me know what you think etc. & if you would like to see the rest of the alternate ending. :)**


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